Challenge Dayspool No 1 Camera

J. Lizars

Name:	Challenge Dayspool No 1
Manufacturer:	J. Lizars
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Construction:	Leather covered mahogany frame, with red bellows.
Production Period:	1903 - 1911

 

Plate / Film Size:	3¼ x 4¼ rollfilm or ¼ plate
Lens:	Busch's Detectiv Aplanat No 2 (serial 6029)
Shutter:	Bausch & Lomb Opt. Co. Pat Jan 6 '01 (dual cylinder)
Movements:	TBD
Dimensions (w x h x l):
Date of this Example:	c1907?
Serial Number:	'130 and '7' stamped into right hand and top edges inside the back, but these are likely to be assembly numbers.
Availability:	Common  Uncommon  Hard to Find  Scarce
Inventory Number:	454

<Photographs to be added>

Description

The Lizars Challenge Dayspool No 1 consists of a leather covered mahogany frame, with red bellows. This camera came with its original box, and although part of the marking on the end is scuffed, it is almost certain that this is a No 1 model, in ¼ plate size. The box has some damage to the lid (it is split down two short edges) and beneath the lid appears to be a purple colour which has completely faded away on the remainder of the box.

The camera is fitted with a plate back, which has to be removed to release the fold out sections that reveal the film chambers. Shows London as an address on both the camera and box, so according to Channing & Dunn [2], this must be between 1899 and 1911. The camera is fitted with a viewfinder, which when supplied as an accessory, adopted the pattern shown here from 1907 (rotating frame for portrait/landscape formats). So produced between 1907 and 1911? Might be able to date more precisely from the serial on the lens (6029).

The plate back appears to be original - the focusing scale also has settings for both plate and film. C & D imply that this was available as an option on the camera, but the plate option looks to be original in this case.

Notes

Compare this camera with the Junior version and the Tropical model.